Melaleuca spectabilis facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Melaleuca spectabilis
M. spectabilis leaves and flowers
Scientific classification
Genus:	Melaleuca
Species:	spectabilis

Melaleuca spectabilis is a special plant that belongs to the myrtle family, called Myrtaceae. You can only find it naturally in the south-west part of Western Australia. This means it is endemic to that area. It used to be considered a type of Melaleuca longistaminea. This plant is a short, prickly bush that grows beautiful yellow or lime-green flowers in the spring and early summer.

What it Looks Like

Melaleuca spectabilis is a bush that can spread out or grow low to the ground. It usually reaches about 2 meters (6.6 feet) tall. Its branches and leaves are smooth, meaning they don't have hairs when they are fully grown.

The leaves grow one after another along the stem. They are about 4.5 to 13.5 millimeters (0.18 to 0.53 inches) long and 3 to 11.5 millimeters (0.12 to 0.45 inches) wide. Each leaf is shaped like a heart and has a sharp point at the end. The bottom part of the leaf usually presses against the stem.

The flowers are bright yellow to lime-green. They grow in groups, called heads, on the sides of the branches. Each head has 5 to 15 individual flowers and can be up to 45 millimeters (1.8 inches) across. The petals are about 4.5 to 6.5 millimeters (0.18 to 0.26 inches) long. They fall off once the flowers are fully grown.

Inside each flower, there are stamens, which are the parts that make pollen. These stamens are grouped into five bundles, with 9 to 24 stamens in each bundle. This plant flowers from August to late November. After the flowers, it produces woody fruits called capsules. These capsules are 3.5 to 6.5 millimeters (0.14 to 0.26 inches) long and have small teeth around their edges. They grow in clusters along the branches.

Naming the Plant

This plant was first described in 1999 as Melaleuca longistaminea subsp. spectabilis by Bryan Barlow and Lyndley Craven. They wrote about it in a scientific journal called Australian Systematic Botany.

Later, in 2010, it was recognized as its own separate species by Craven, Lepschi, and Cowley in another journal called Nuytsia. The second part of its name, spectabilis, comes from a Latin word. It means "notable," "showy," or "remarkable." This name was chosen because of its beautiful and eye-catching flowers.

Where it Grows

You can find Melaleuca spectabilis in the areas around Geraldton and Ajana in Western Australia. This region is known as the Geraldton Sandplains. The plants like to grow in areas with scrub (low bushes) and low heath (small, woody plants). They prefer sandy soil or clay soil that has gravel in it.

Protecting the Plant

The Government of Western Australia's Department of Parks and Wildlife has looked at Melaleuca spectabilis. They have listed it as "not threatened," which means it is not currently in danger of disappearing.

Images for kids

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  M. spectabilis growing near Geraldton

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  M. spectabilis fruit